Sam the Local

Sam the Local

When you first get to Hong Kong, whether you are traveling or just moved here, sometimes you just don’t know what you don’t know. Curious what those things are? Here are some tips that we’d like to share with you.

Double-yellow lines

If you are aiming to catch a taxi/mini-bus or get off from one, be aware of the double-yellow lines, where cars are not allowed to stop. Keep an eye out for the single-yellow line and you are free to hop on and off as traffic conditions allow.

Sam tip: If you already know the area you want to get off at has double-yellow lines, keep an eye out for single-yellow lines as you near your arrival point and ask your driver to let you get off there.

Trams

Have you ever thought about riding the tram but didn’t know how it worked? It’s simple: board from the back, and you pay when you get off. You can pay with your Octopus or cash (HK$2.30 for adults, HK$1.20 for children 3 and above to under 12, HK$1.10 senior citizen).

Sam tip: This is a good way to get rid of your 10 and 20 cent coins since a lot of stores don’t take them. Also, the upstairs front and rear are the best spots to capture pictures of everything going on outside of the tram around you.

See Hong Kong with a local insider

Taxi shift-change time

Taxi drivers in Hong Kong work in 12-hour shifts, with most of them having shift-change time around 3-4pm (sometimes even up to 5pm) and then again at 3-4am. At these prime times, it will be harder to catch a cab as they aim to finish their last ride and change over the cab with the other driver.

Sam tip: If you aren’t in a rush around this time, try another mode of transportation such as Uber or MTR. Otherwise, cab a bit earlier or later.

Stamps

If you are looking for stamps to send locally within Hong Kong, they can be found at 7-Eleven (what can’t be found there?) as well as outside of post offices where you can send your mail. Standard local mail is HK$1.70. Air mail to send overseas starts at HK$2.80 depending on distance and weight. The Hong Kong Post provides more pricing details.

Sam tip: The stamps at 7-Eleven are only sold in sets of 10 so if you only need a few, it’s better to buy them from the post office where you can buy them one at a time.

Free Wi-Fi

Need free Wi-Fi? Did you know that you can access Internet at public/government and private facilities? These include major parks, libraries, sports centers, cooked food centers and museums. Also at MTR stations there are often Internet terminals or Wi-Fi areas, and at Stabucks and McDonald’s you get 20-30 minutes of free wi-fi with a purchase.

Sam tip: Look up where these Wi-Fi/Internet access points are before you don’t have data to look it up. Also, keep a look out for this Wi-Fi logo which indicates a Wi-Fi access point.

Do you know have other Hong Kong tips? Share them with us.

Sam the Local connects you to people so that you have access to word-of-mouth knowledge that can’t be found through forums or Top 10 lists. Our Locals build an itinerary based on your interests and then take you to see the things based on the itinerary. Pick a Local to book for your Outing, and please reach out if you have any questions.